Making Direct Mail Modern: Why this dinosaur will never go extinct.

As a direct marketer, I love direct mail. It is cost effective, targeted, and reaches your customers in a place where they will actually have time to sit down and read what you have to say. But with social media and internet marketing increasing in popularity everyday, more and more brands are turning their backs on their tried and true direct mail campaigns in favor of flashy new online tactics- throwing dollars and time into YouTube videos, SEO, mass emails, and pay per click ads. Of course there is no denying that social media networking and marketing have revolutionized the way that people buy, and the way that consumers interact with brands, but this is not reason enough to abandon the more traditional marketing strategies we know and trust in favor of new, largely unknown marketing territory.

So, what is the trick to balancing the trendy, and instantaneously gratifying social media market with proven, conventional means of direct marketing? INTEGRATE! Instead of treating traditional and online marketing like separate entities, treat them as one cohesive campaign, with the same goals, hitting the same prospect through multiple avenues, ultimately, increasing response across all marketing channels. 

New and modern direct mail strategy can add a laundry list of benefits to direct mail's already shiny track record (Cheap, easy, targeted, and tangible!).  Simply equipping your direct mail piece with a few add-ons can bring it into the modern world of e-marketing.

1.) PURL (personalized landing page)

Instead of directing your customers to a website or phone number, direct your customers to a personilzed custom made microsite, where you can ask them a few simple survey questions, and provide them with more information about your product. 

Sample Landing Page

2.) QR codes

Use the Scanlife app on your smart phone to scan the above QR

These nifty little bar codes are the latest in emerging direct mail trends (they are also ALL OVER print adds, check out any magazine). Tech Savvy consumers love these little guys. Simply scan them with the camera on a smart phone(you might have to download an app, like Scanlife), and it will redirect the browser on the phone to a webpage, video, text ad, event invite... the possibilities are endless. Not to mention, they are an inexpensive addition to any mail piece, can be tracked for response, AND, unlike a PURL- The landing page that a QR code directs to can be changed on a dime- giving the marketer unlimited flexibility as far as offers.

Sharing via Social Media

This one is the kicker. Incorporate a PURL or URL onto a direct mail piece, and use it to encourage users to share your offer on their favorite social media platform (Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn etc). So now, even if you only send 5,000 postcards, there is an opportunity for unlimited response, because of the viral growth of the campaign via social sharing. This method has seen response rates increase more than 200%! 

Looking for more information about incorporating social Sharing into your Direct Marketing? Contact us at Synergy Direct Response and one of our Social Media Marketing Consultants will be in touch to answer any questions.